Klipheuwel in Limpopo still has no water to stave off virus threat

Residents of Klipheuwel village in Limpopo are worried that they will not be able to fight the spread of the coronavirus after the Capricorn district municipality (CDM) failed to keep its promise to deliver clean running water to their community years before the outbreak.

The situation in the area has now forced the Democratic Alliance (DA), which visited the area this week, to write to the South African Human Rights Commission in Limpopo, requesting that they investigate the CDM for failing to provide consistent clean water to residents.

A resident, Salphina Letsoalo, yesterday said it was very difficult for members of the community to survive in the area.

“For the past five months, we have been fetching dirty water from wells and fountains and boiling it because the municipality could not provide water to us.

“We wake up early to fetch water in fountains because we cannot afford to buy water at exorbitant prices from the well-offs.

“When the president announced that we must wash our hands after shaking hands, we thought the municipality would see it fit to fast track its plan to bring clean running water to our community,” she said. “But we have been waiting since the announcement and nothing has happened.

“We are very disappointed. It looks like this government has planned to kill all of us with the coronavirus.”

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